Band of boys use music for change

They say song is the best way to reflect one’s moods, and five boys from Fr Agnels College in Vashi have launched their own album in three different languages. The boy band, called Chitr, which was formed in 2009; says the album -- called For a Change -- reflects their personal stories and Indian politics.

Making music: Chitr, seen here at the launch of their album For a Change, sing in three different languages

Speaking about the album, Prithviraj Shetty, vocalist said, “We are super excited and hope that our message reaches the masses.” The album has 15 songs in total and the first seven songs are about their lives as teens, whereas the remaining eight are on politics. “One of the songs is also about how nature is seeking revenge on us for destroying the ecology,” Shetty added.

The boys came together in 2009 in high school and before releasing the album, performed in various college festivals and formed a niche for themselves with their progressive and melodious rhythms. The band members said that their different backgrounds helped them write songs that didn’t fit into a single genre and also lent their music a contemporary touch.

Kunal Khade, lyricist and vocalist, added, “I had written some of the songs when I was in school. So I changed them a bit for the album and am happy that they are now released.

Getting noticed Elaborating on their big break, Abhishek Singh, drummer of Chitr, said, “Inorbit in Vashi would organise a band night every Friday in the mall. Fortunately, they once called us up wanting to know if we were interested in playing. We played to an audience of over 200 people and that helped us boost our confidence and made us realise that we wanted to release our own album.” When asked which their favourite songs on the album, Tejas, the lead guitarist and Souvik, the rhythm guitarist, said that Ruh Machal Gayi, Yaari and Mustache of the Bride were their favourites.